The Foodie Dietitian Blog

A little bit a acorn squash

It’s that time of year again. Winter squash is back in action. One of my favorite things about the fall and winter is harvest vegetables! Acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, turnip, sweet potato…I’ll take em all!

If you remember last year I dished out the nutrition details on acorn squash when I made Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash. For a little refresher, acorn squash is loaded with vitamins A and C, and packed with potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and fiber. Named after its acorn-like shape, this squash has a subtle sweet taste. Enjoy it as a side dish or stuff its way into a main dish. Many recipes for acorn squash call for using grains or protein to stuff the squash, making a hearty, satisfying meal.

I wanted a new way to stuff my squash so I found a recipe on AllRecipes for Moroccon-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, substituting quinoa for couscous to add more protein to the dish. I also used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Oh, and I skipped out on the celery, sorry celery, nothing personal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped (I’ll pass)

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 cup uncooked couscous (or quinoa)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

* I’ve found that acorn squash is usually tender after it’s cooked for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Keep this in mind when following this recipe.

I really enjoyed this recipe and loved the taste of cumin in the dish. The brown sugar also gives it a nice sweet touch. If you haven’t tried acorn squash yet, you don’t know what you’re missing! Pick one up the next time you head to the grocery store and experience what the fall/winter season has to offer us.

Peace, love, and food,

Kara

What is your favorite acorn squash recipe? Do you have a favorite fal/winter harvest vegetable?